Ruby Red: The Time Travelling Saga Begins
by TwinkleTwinkleI'mAStar
Summary: Unexpectedly, Sakura ends up travelling back to the 19th century, London, on her 18th birthday.Uchiha Sasuke, a time traveler, who had trained Karin gets furious when he finds that Sakura is the Ruby, the last time traveller to end the circle of blood.With time spend together they both get to know, and understand each other. But can she love and trust him?
1. Chapter 1- Karin's Birthday

**A/N:** _Hello everyone ! I'm writing this time travelling saga 'cus I got inspired to write after seeing the movie Ruby Red ( based on a german novel, which many of you must know about). Tbh, i just thought how well Sasuke and Sakura would fit in this lovely romantic story. Its so magical and amazing that i just had to write it. This is my first solo story. So please don't be harsh on me and **PLEASE REVIEW**!_

 _Also, in this story Karin and Sakura are cousins._

 _Why?_

 _'Cus I like Karin as much as I like Sakura. I think she turned out very mature in Boruto (Manga) by helping Sakura delivering Sasuke's child._

 _~ Zoe_

* * *

Karin's birthday was always celebrated like a festival in the family majorly because they thought that she was the carrier of the time travelling gene which was passed down in the females of the family since atleast 200 years. Other than that, Sakura didn't have a clue of anything related to what training she had been doing with Uchiha Sasuke since as long as Sakura remembered. (Sakura didn't want to remember the fact that he would show up in the party today.)

Karin's 18th birthday party had long been started in the house but Sakura's presence was never a requirement for her grandmother, the legal owner of the castle-cum-mansion that belonged to the Haruno's, her rich aunt or her daughter Karin. It was only aunt Chio, her mother and younger brother, not to forget Mr. Dock for whom she existed. For everyone else in the family, she was an outcast.

Sakura grazed at her reflection the last time in the mirror, she wore a yellow coloured, tight fitting( thanks to Karin for passing it down to her) blouse and black jeans. Pink hair framed her face which she tucked back in a ponytail with a few rebellious strands pouring down.

The clothes she wore weren't new. They were her cousin Karin's clothes which she wanted to throw away, so her aunt gave it as charity to her own, unfortunate sister's daughter, Sakura.

"Hurry up Sakura! Come down will you!Karin's gonna cut the cake in 10 mins." Her 13 year old brother, James shouted.

"Coming! ",she sang.

She left the room quickly grabbing her phone.

As she walked down the stairs, she pretended not to be amazed at the decorations. There were many people from the higher strata of the society whom she had started to recognise with names, her eyes fell on her grandmother, the most elegant women in London who still believed to live in the '90's. Her flawless gowns and jewellery were timeless and parallel to her manners and attitude infront of the outsiders. Her eyes then ran through other faces only to stop on Karin's face and Sakura swore that she was practically glowing out of pride, but definitely glowing.

Karin, with her burgundy hair and iris locked like a Vampire queen, like a Vampire 'cus she sucked and a queen 'cus everyone treated her so. But at the moment she wore a black dress reaching her knees with thin straps. Sakure knew immediately that grandmother would have loved it the moment she saw it. Karin was elegant and beautiful and intelligent and lucky. But however Sakura would admire Karin for her physical self, Sakura never said that alound. It would be like giving an offering to the devil.

She took out her phone, iPhoneX (thanks to Karin for being bored with it) and clicked a picture of Karin standing at the centre table and cutting the cake while everyone else cheered in the background. The servants started to cut the cake and distribute it so Sakura went up to the table determined to take her piece.

"Oh Sakura!", Karin chirruped with fake excitement, "You look beautiful! This shabby top and tattered jeans just suit your worthless personality."

" You look like a slut too, Karin," Sakura faked a smile while taking the cake Karin offered, to which Karin raised a brow.

" Tell me Sak, who'll you be coming with, to the prom this year? Let me guess, that wannabe Drake from across the street, who pissed in his pants when Grey only threatened to bully him?", Karin challenged crossing her arms like a model.

At that Sakura grimaced and she felt too embarrassed to answer it. She could take any insults directed on her by Karin but whenever it came to guy's, Sakura always felt self conscious. She had never dated a guy in her whole life, not because she didn't want to but majorly because no one had ever asked her out and the guys that had crush on her were...basically just too weird, for the lack of a better term. This always made her self conscious and she always thought that she wasn't pretty enough. Had it not been for Ino, Sakura would have had severe inferiority complexes, which anyone sharing a house with Karin would have.

"I...I wouldn't be going to the prom, its as useless and stupid as this party". She said awkwardly and turned trying to ignore that fake sympathetic look Karin gave to her, "Don't worry Sak, someday someone will see you for more than your big forehead and shitty personality."

As she started to take a few steps away from Karin, focusing more on the chocolate truffle in her plate her eyes landed on Uchiha Sasuke. He seemed to have just entered the front gate and was already surrounded by people talking to him. He was the epitome of perfection. In his way he had curtly greeted all the middle aged women who had trailed their eyes all over him while he smirked plainly at them. And then he took an excuse as immediately as they had joined him and walked straight in her direction. His gaze so intense that it made her insides burn, her hand instantly went up to her face to tuck back a few stray strands. She looked at him again and everything was happening in slow motion.

Sasuke lightly raised one of his eyebrows in acknowledgment, a light smirk played in the corner of his lips. He was perfect, Sakura thought, his jawline was more structured than her whole life put together, his lips were just the perfect shade of pink and his hair, his hair were the most attractive feature on his face, as black as the raven. His hair shade complemented his skin. His skin was as pale as the winter frost, his eyes(though a close competition to his hair) were as black as coal and whenever one looked at them they seemed to penetrate through them. It always occurred to Sakura that his eyes were the burning coal a person freezing in the cold desired.

It was a weird notion Sakura had come up with, she thought of the Uchiha as winter. He was definitely winter, gentle (only with selected women) yet cold, beautiful yet deadly, promising yet fatal. Whenever he came, the surroundings froze, whenever he smiled, snowfall came, whenever he smirked, his signature look, it would freeze your heart completely and send chills down your back. He was definitely the most devastatingly gorgeous and inevitable form of winter.

She was pulled out of her dream world immediately when Karin pushed her by the shoulder and went into Sasuke's arms, who welcomed her.

Sakura stood there clumsily with the cake in her mouth that was neglected by her in his presence. She swallowed it with force immediately when Sasuke leaned in and kissed Karin on her cheek way too sensually for any platonic reference. Sakura could not take her eyes off him, admiring his lean body and well fitted suit.

He looks fucking hot, dammit! Couldn't he just stop looking like a fucking Greek God.

Grandma joined them shortly and Sasuke looked around for someone to attend to them, he looked sideways at Sakura and it was the first time he'd acknowledge her presence in person, the other times she was always in the background.

"Would you be kind enough to get a champagne for three",he looked at Karin and grandma and back at her.

"Yeah..." she said mindlessly, "wait- what!?", she repeated again seeing him in the eyes.

"Three champagne." This time he had a more commanding and assertive tone.

"Yeah... I'll just", she said turning around immediately to get a waiter to attend to them, but Voilà! As she turned in hurry too embarrassed to watch her steps she bumped into a waitress letting all the wine splash on Sasuke's expensive suit.

"Fuck". Sakura mouthed inaudibly while everyone close to them stilled . Sasuke looked at her as if he were mentally stabbing her but gave a subtle smile to everyone to acknowledge their worry. Her grandmother on other hand scolded her with her eyes while Karin giggled lightly helping Sasuke wipe his coat with handkerchief.

Sakura felt enough embarrassed and humiliated to last a lifetime and she just started to move away from everyone in the crowd taking her cake piece with her and a tray full of brownies and cupcakes.

* * *

"It's him ?", Ino asked staring down from the royal staircase where she and Sakura sat finishing all the cupcakes and cookies and snacks. The guests had long left, leaving Sasuke sitting with grandma, Karin and Karin's mother, Kate.

"Hm, he stayed here when Karin said her head started to ache and she felt dizzy."

"What was all this, again, for?"

"Karin inheriting a time travelling gene so she could go back in time, and never come back, hopefully. And all this is because she is said to be born under a special star."

" yeah sounds pretty cool", Ino said stuffing a big piece of cake into her mouth.

"Awfully cool." Ino agreed again.

Suddenly they saw everyone get up as Karin started to loose her balance and Sasuke caught her in his arms, she said something to them and everyone got alarmed immediately. Everyone hurried out and Sasuke helped Karin into his Limousine. Now, Sakura and Ino where peeping out of the window next to the staircase to see as everyone got into their cars and left.

"Where are they taking her?", Ino asked Sakura urgently.

"To the Order", said another shrill voice, making Sakura and Ino jump abruptly.

"Aunt Chio! Sakura exclaimed, "you almost killed us."

"What is The Order?", Ino said, trying not to break the flow.

"Ah! I'm not allowed to speak about it, it's prohibited." She looked around seeing no one in the house, she continued," but just for your general knowledge, They are the guardians of the time travellers, you know, they protect them. Its an organisation running from ages and it also consists of a council of 25 members one of them being the head, and your grandfather was it, before he died. He was the most gentle and caring person in all of the universe, my brother."

Sakura remembered a faint picture of her grandfather bringing her a chocolate and smiling faintly at her, "It's for you, my ruby", he would say to her. It was their thing, he made it a point to call her ruby, she would choose him anytime over grandma.

"And yes, they also run the worlds' peace organisation-"

"You mean the UN", Ino interjected.

"UN ? Oh no, Its more like the UN funds them, the government funds them and they have many donations from other rich businessmen. Why you ask me, well I don't know. Also, they have the best scientists working under them, Hisashi once mentioned, I remember. "

"Why the scientists ? ", Sakura asked.

"For a cover up maybe? Like, why else would the government pay 'them'." Ino said shrugging.

"And why is the Uchiha always around Karin, is he the part of the council too ?", Sakura asked.

"Ahh", aunt Chio grinned like a mad woman, more than she already was, "The Uchiha's and the Haruno's share a long history together. In every generation, a female in our lineage becomes a gene carrier its the boy in their family who inherits the gene."

"Ooooo", Ino grinned sheepishly," sounds hot to me."

Sakura just rolled her eyes.

"And you know what-"

"I think its enough for today Aunt Chio, the story telling session, I mean. Get going kids, you have a biology assignment to submit. If you guys don't get an A grade, you'll be grounded for a week."

"Mom!", cried Sakura.

"Mibuki please!", Ino pleaded.

"I've told you girls, aunt chio isn't the most reliable source. She's a story teller, believes highly in super natural things and gets visions." Mibuki scolded while aunt Chio pouted at her fully knowing that she didn't mean a word she said.

Ino and Sakura hurried to Sakura's room on the third floor. It was a nice room, not anything compared to Karin's, but nice. The room must have been a guest room before Sakura's small family shifted in. Her father was in the army so he came back only twice a year for 3 weeks. That was the only time Sakura, Mibuki and James went out of this suffocating house. They would save as much money as they could round the year so that they could go to a nice place, near the country side, peacefully together as a family. His father didn't have much liking towards her grandmother nor the other members, especially Karin's father, Nobi, who was an proud businessman, so he tried to take his family away from these people whenever he came.

They closed the door behind them, the half completed project research on fungi was lying on the bed as well as the study table.

"So, we have to submit this by next week, I have already taken the pictures of our observation of fungus growth on bread at various stages. We have identified the various classes of fungi and-", Sakura started to say.

"I know, I know!", Ino sang "I was with you when we did that, only the analysis, conclusion, sources of error and precautions is left and it will take only 2-3 hours to get completed. Tell me, first, what do you want me to gift you tomorrow?"

At the last question Sakura laughed. "You haven't bought it yet?", she played along Ino guess game knowing full well that Ino would have brought her gift a month ago, thats how she was.

Yes, it was Sakura's birthday tomorrow, her mother told she was born exactly as the clock struck 12, it was only 15 mins after Karin was born. Unlike Karin, she said, Sakura's birth was difficult. "It seemed to the nurse like you didn't want to come out, doctors predicted your delivery till 11:30 maximum but there you were, waiting for the clock to strike 12." Sakura would laugh every time she heard this story, it was very dramatic unlike James who popped out without much pain, her mom said.

Sometimes she wondered how lucky she'd have been had she been the one to be born under the lucky star, then grandma would take care of her like a jewel, she would have been the centre of attention but she used to dismiss the pathetic thought. Living Karin's life was difficult Sakura would admit. All Karin did was work, work, work, or study, study, study. Everything she did was prescheduled. The way she sat, talked, spoke, smiled, screamed refinement and class. She always thought that Karin was only carefree around her, she would abuse her, mock her, make weird faces at her and laugh like crazy whenever Sakura would trip on absolutely nothing and fall,, she was her true form around Sakura, even so as ugly as it was. She had always shared a weird relationship with her where both of them hated each other but never to much to get the other in harm.

"Ummh, I don't know, maybe an outing to the mall on Saturday where the bill's on you ?", Sakura offered laughing.

Ino joined Sakura, "Definitly."

* * *

Ino had gifted Sakura a pair of sandals which Sakura had loved once they were window shopping at the mall but they were out of her budget. Ino always knew the perfect gift, a gift that would make Sakura feel so special. She had tried them in the girls bathroom in school and it fitted her perfectly. She felt like Cinderella.

"They are beautiful Ino, I don't know how to thank you."

"Then don't", Naruto said grinning at her, they were now in the canteen, eating, Naruto, Ino's boyfriend and Sakura's said brother was now with them.

Naruto had gifted Sakura a bracelet which matched her silver lined, black sandals. She loved it too.

As they were walking with their food strays to dump them in the dust bin, Sakura's head started to throb making her loose her focus. She stopped immediately and grimaced.

"What happened? ", Ino asked, concerned.

"Nothing", Sakura lied. She started to move again, only this time her head throbbed so bad that her grip on the plate loosened and voilà! The left curry in the plate fell on her white shirt and checked red and black skirt. "Shit", she cursed as the throbbing died.

"Sakura!", Ino and Naruto said in unison.

"Yeah, yeah! ", Sakura said," I-"

"Was being an attention hoe as ever", Charlotte completed. Charlotte was Karin's best friend sitting on the table next to where Sakura was standing.

Karin and Mia started to laugh and everyone around them giggled or just ignored her.

"She wan't being an attention hoe, she was just being her, a total embarrassment", Karin corrected still giggling while the laughs grew.

"Embarrassing would be to have your boyfriend knock your bff at your own birthday party and still dating him", Sakura spat at Charlotte.

"Oooooooooooo", everyone in the canteen said in a unison.

"Fuck, that was awesome", Naruto whispered to Sakura while Ino was laughing her ass off.

With that, the three of them exited the canteen to help Sakura clean up.

* * *

"Did u have the head ache again?", Ino inquired, Naruto had gone to his football practice being the captain of the school football team. He was among the most wanted and popular guys in senior year. Sakura thought it was more because of his personality than his amazingly attractive looks, his smile was as bright as the sun, personality as warm as the summer. His presence was noticed and absence missed. He was naturally the most funny guy in school.

"Yes"

"Did you go for an eye check up?"

"Yes I did, last week. And the doctor said i had perfect 6/6 vision. "

"Did you go to a physician, then ?"

"Umh, no. I mean this crazy headache just pops up randomly. And then for days there's no sign of it. And if I tell this to mom she'll get worried 'cus last month we visited this doctor and he said nothing was wrong, he said its all in her head. He thought I was making this up."

"Okayy...tell me again when did it start."

"Just six months or so it appeared for the first time and after that it persisted."

"I think it's because of the work load then, less sleep and more projects. Nevemind, lets go. "

Once the bell rang, everyone got out. Sakura and Ino got in time to see Sasuke waiting to take Karin for her 'training sections'.

Sasuke since the last 2 years came to pick up Karin very frequently after school. Everyone believed them to be dating but it was never official.

Though, if you scroll through Karins Instagram, fifty percent of her posts were with Sasuke. And if you scrolled through Sasuke's posts, which endlessly consisted of Karin and all the hots chicks by his side.

Fuckboy , Ino would say. But Ino and Sakura followed him anyways.

Now, everyone stood there watching Sasuke get off his super sexy bike and Karin cat-walking towards him.

"Hah! Did he just kiss her on the cheek!?", someone beside Sakura said.

"Yes! Dammit, he's so sexy. Karin is so luck! Having a guy like him kiss me is my eternal dream."

At that Sakura rolled her eyes. Every girl, absolutely every girl in high school drooled over Sasuke. Sakura would always try not to think a lot about him. She would be a damned liar if she said she wasn't attracted to him but she knew better to have a serious crush on him. Guys like him aren't loyal, they stick around so long as they get something of you, investing into them is foolish.

Even so as she cribbed about him, she was starting at them.

"Look how he talks to her", Ino pointed, smirking.

"I don't know how can they manage to talk so easily in such close proximity", Sakura said effortlessly.

"It's amazing how he looks so hot", Ino said with a dumb smile.

"He is, that's true, but he is an arrogant douchebag. Staring at him is wasting time, I'm going home." With that Sakura left.

* * *

"Fuck, no", Sakura cursed, " not now." Sakura was just a few meters away from her house. "Just half a minute more", she pleaded to god.

The throbbing in her head was like crazy. Her eyes couldn't focus anywhere, she had twice bumped into strangers and almost gotten under a car.

"Just few steps more." She pleaded. At the moment she reached the gate of her house she felt herself weightless, almost her being sucked by an invisible black hole with such force, such tremendous force that the next time Sakura opened her eyes she found herself fall on someone.

"Aaaaa, help! help! help!", she heard someone shout. Sakura opened her eyes immediately to find a women dressed in an old fashioned beautiful gown, she could admire her but the woman won't stop shouting.

"Hey ma'am-",

"What happened, miss?", said a guy dressed in uniform like a soldier.

"This woman tried to rob me, she tried to attack me from above, she's a witch ! she appeared out of thin air!", shouted the woman in the weird attire.

"Woahh! Mad woman calm down!", Sakura shouted back. "What the hell is going on!?"

"Hell!? She is talking about hell! Soldier help, she's a witch!", shrieked the woman.

Now everyone dressed in weird gowns and hats and suits started to gather. It almost seemed like she was in the middle of a play written by Shakespeare.

"Is this some street show going on", Sakura laughed awkwardly, "Its an awesome work guys."

The man dressed like a soldier took Sakura by her arm and slapped her hard in the face.

"What the fuck?", Sakura shouted.

"How dare you!"

"Don't worry miss, we'll take care of her."

"Leave me, you guys are taking this way too far", Sakura struggled in his grip.

"Look at her clothes." Someone in the crowed said.

"Yeah, and look at her hair style."

"See the way she talks, I can't comprehend any of her words."

"Maybe she's cursing bad luck on Eliza."

"She's definitely a witch."

"Yes, she looks like a witch."

"They'll burn her too, like everyone else of her kind."

"Yes! Its the Kings strict orders."

"Burn me!?", Sakura shouted. " Hey, leave me." She struggled harder looking around nervously.

When she did look around, her heart skipped at beat. She looked harder but she couldn't believe her eyes. The whole street was designed in 19th-18th century architecture. There were beautiful cottages, fancy dresses and no cars, no people with headphones, mobiles. She looked around and when her eyes fell on the spot where her house was, it still stood there in all its pride, but it looked different, very different but still she knew it was her house.

The soldier dragged her harder away from her house, "where are you taking me?where are we?and why is everything so old?", Sakura almost had tears in her eyes.

"King George lll has ordered to burn away any female under the suspension of witchcraft. So keep quiet before I execute you in public."

"What!"

Sakura's head started to throb again, the information and realisation were way too much for her to handle and as abruptly as she had popped up in this time zone she was sucked back and only this time she let herself loose her conscious and fade.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Here the first chapter ends! Hope you guys liked it, the second chapter is under construction, I'll appreciate as many reviews as possible, so PLEASEE REVIEW SO THAT I AM MOTIVATED!_**


	2. Chapter 2- Who's The Ruby?

**A/N-** Hey everyone! Its nice to update the second chapter!

Thanks to all those who followed my story, favourite it and special thanks to those who took the pains to REVIEW! ;)

I'm very glad to have such an amazing start and I promise that I'm going to finish this story.

Keep reviewing ^_^

Here, I'll be responding to the reviewers

xXWinterRoseXx - Thanks for the review, and the detailed analysis XD I reallyyyy appreciate it *-* yes I know I should have not placed them in England but I really wanted to introduce balls and parties that wouldn't be possible otherwise, 'Cu's ya know, Japan is very cultural and traditional, it's got kimono's and there aren't any balls.

This is a plot hole we have here and I already want everyone to forgive me, 'Cus my lazy ass doesn't want to rewrite again, so please forgive me.

*sobs* *sobs*

And as for James, well his father, a British in origin named him so, I hope I mentioned it in the last chapter?

QueenCupid- Thank you so much for the amazing review! Yes, I'll complete this ^_^

willow441988- Don't worry, not reading the trilogy will make this even more interesting! Here's an update for ya ! ^_

LiluFaery87- Thanks for your review! I hope I made less errors this time, lol, yes, I want a beta too! But no one's available #_#

Moon-Beam95- ikrrrr! There aren't any ruby red fanfics! Dude, let me tell you l'll be changing the plot a lot from the real novel, 'Cu's I'll never be able to justify its plot, so I hope you're fine with it ? Thanks for the review^_^

~ Zoe

* * *

 _According to the legends, there are supposed to be 26 time travellers in total to complete the circle of blood. Each traveler born under a star to make a pair of two, thus 13 gemstones in total._

 _People born under the same star, sharing the same gemstone are believed to be soulmates. And the elders say if they fall for anyone else, it's only bad fortune that accompanies._

* * *

Sasuke sat in the study of a 1818 summer morning. He sat erect and alert on the antique sofa.

"How's my Ruby doing, I can't wait to meet her", came a smooth voice from the background.

"You'll meet her very soon", Sasuke ensured.

"Sasuke...", the owner of the voice said, "I don't care how you do it but make her come to me fast", there was sudden desperation in his voice which made Sasuke frown lightly but he dare say a word, his loyalties don't allow him.

Sakura's eye fluttered open only when she felt some warm liquid drop on her forehead. Her hand instantly went up to examine it but the moment she saw pigeon pop she felt like puking.

* * *

Immediately she looked around when she heard the honking of cars and bikes and she realised that she was lying on the London Bridge, unconscious.

"What am I doing here? ", Sakura mumbled and then everything came back to her; the soldier, the woman, the people, the streets, everything and her heart started to race.

 _What had just happened? Where was I ? And how did I come back here!? And how am I at the London Bridge!? Oh my god, am i going crazy !? Shit. shit. shitt!_

Her head started to ache.

 _No, no, noo! Not again. Not again. What just happened dammit! Where was I? It just seemed like I'd gone back in time, back in time when our mansion was newly made. Wait... back in time ? Back in time! No, no, it can't happen. I didn't go back in time. I just...I just lost conscious and dreamt, there's no way i went back in time. That's not possible, it's Karin who will. Not me, I'm a loser who can't keep her thoughts away from these fairy tales._

 _But you know it wasn't fake, you know it was very real; the fear you felt when the soldier was taking you to burn you alive. Her rational side interjected._

 _No! Its stupid! Its a lie. Nothing happened._

 _Then why are you standing on the bridge and not at the footsteps of the house? The rational side roared._

At that thought, Sakura lost it. She searched for her phone.

 _Should I call mom and tell her what happened?_

 _No, a bad idea._

 _Aunt Chio ?_

 _That's so stupid I don't know why I even considered it_

 _Ino!?_

 _Yes, Ino sounds good._

Sakura searched Ino's number and dialled it, after two rings she picked up the call.

"Yus, babe, what's up?", Ino's voice came.

"Ino", Sakura's voice cracked from the fear, her voice trembled,"Ino, I-"

"Sak, where are you, are you okay ?", suddenly her voice became so alert, the worry was evident, "Tell me, are you safe!?"

"Yes, I'm safe. Its just that I think that, I know it would sound stupid and crazy but I think that I-"

"Sak, don't make this more complicated, tell me straight, what happened?"

"I think I time traveled", she said that quickly, trying not to cringe.

"What! Are you kidding me!?"

"Do you think I'm joking! Oh shit! Its happening again." Sakura felt a little dizzy.

"What's happening again?"

"I'm feeling dizzy and then i just vanish into thin air".

"Oh, god! Where are you!?"

"At the London Bridge!"

"Fuck no, move away from it, you never know if you end up in the river suddenly." Ino shrieked, " I'm at a nearby cafe, I'm reaching in two minutes."

At Ino's words, there was a rush of adrenaline through Sakura and she started to run, pushing through people she tried to get away from the river, hoping that Ino would be there on the other side.

* * *

"You mean they were going to burn you alive ?", Ino asked curiously.

"Yes, they said it was King George lll's order."

"Woah, so you went back in the 1820's?", Ino guessed. Ino was smart and very good in studies, she was a natural. She wanted to pursue medicine and become a doctor, even so, she had taken history as her additional.

"Umh, maybe, I don't know a thing about history."

Sakura elaborated the whole incidence and Ino was seriously listening but laughed when Sakura told her about them calling her a witch.

Ino was taking Sakura back home, she wanted to make sure Sakura was safe. They were near the house now, few steps from the doorway.

"Do you believe me?", Sakura asked suddenly.

Ino looked at her, "Sak, I'd believe anything you say. At the present if you ask me, I think its not Karin but you who have inherited the gene. You are the one who's had the head aches and dizzy feeling since months, not her, its you who time travelled not her, its obvious that you are the one. But then, what proff you have? Telling anyone now isn't very reliable, they'll think you're making it up, especially your family. But at the same time, its very dangerous to keep it to yourself, so I think that you should tell your mom."

"Yeah, I think so too. What if Karin and I, both inherited the gene? Like my genes became functional earlier than hers?"

"Possible, but tell your mom now, okay?"

"Hn"

As they both entered the house, Sakura prepared herself to speak but-

"Happy birthday Sakura!", Mibuki cried in excitement.

"Mom I wanted to-"

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you", Mibuki started to sing in her melodious voice.

James threw sparkles everywhere, Mr. Dock, the butler, came with a cake, singing along Mibuki, Aunt Chio was dancing in joy and everyone was pure happy.

"Come Sakura lets cut the cake, sweetheart", her mom said smiling.

"Mom-"

Mibuki noticed Sakura's dirty appearance and chuckled a little.

"Sweetheart, first go and get fresh, then we'll celebrate!", said Mibuki excitedly.

Everyone headed towards the dining room once Sakura and Ino took a bath and changed.

"Mom but there's something-", Sakura tried again.

Suddenly loud music filled the room and everyone including Ino took a seat. As the music poured into Sakura's ears, all her worries and stress drained away. At this moment she wanted to enjoy, this moment she was spending with her favourite people. Maybe, the time travelling tale could wait.

The table had chips, waffle, cold drink, pizza and pasta laid, thanks to Mr. Dock.

"My god, are the Vamp's out?", Sakura asked laughing.

"Yeah, they are out, won't come till midnight", Mr. Dock smiled.

"If Kiyara saw this mess, she'd have a heart attack", aunt Chio laughed eating her piece of cake.

Ino laughed at that.

"Hey, here's your gift", Mibuki said giving a small box to Sakura.

Sakura opened the box to find a silver necklace which had a pendent in the shape of a key. It was very articulate and beautiful.

"It's lovely, mom. I love it."

"Its a very precious necklace. It belongs to someone very special, like you", said her mom smiling.

"Someone special", Sakura asked. "Who?"

Suddenly between the music, there was a sound of someone shriek. Everyone looked at the source and found that it was aunt Chio who was shouting, her eyes had turned completely white. And if that wasn't scary enough, she started to speak some weird stuff, James paused the music from his iPhone8 (Thanks to Karin, again).

"Mom-", Sakura tried worriedly

"She's having a vision."

Sakura turned back to see aunt Chio blabbering the words, Sakura could only make out some of them.

The only words she could comprehend were;

 _Stop the Ruby...Ruby can't trust...he is here, walking the crust...the blood of the Phoenix and the hawk is must ...Rin! Rin! Rin!_

 _Keep Sakura safe! Protect her! Sakuraaaaa!_

"Aunt Chio!", Sakura cried, " I'm here ! I'm safe!"

"Sakuraaaaaaa! ",She roared again.

Sakura shook aunt Chio vigorously until she was back to normal, "Sakura dear, keep safe, Rin said to keep you safe!", aunt Chio put a hand on Sakura's head trying to embrace her, her voice still trembled and so did her hands.

"Rin? Who's Rin?", Sakura asked frowning. She had never, in her life, heard that name.

"Your cousin", this time Mibuki answered quickly.

"My cousin? Why have I never heard of her then?"

"She was a time traveler, too, she used to live with us", Mibuki said.

"Yes, yes, she was the most beautiful girl in our family, Hisashi was her legal guardian after his brothers' death but we never talk of her, now, it's forbidden", aunt Chio said.

"Why forbidden?", Sakura asked curiously.

"She ran away with the chronograph at the age of 20 with her love and time travelling partner, Uchiha Obito. He was a very handsome young man, if I remember correctly", aunt Chio said.

There was grave silence in the room and everyone was listening as carefully as they could, not wanting to miss any details. Even so, Mibuki's body posture told that she wasn't very comfortable discussing this topic, her eyes were stuck on Sakura, nobody but Ino noticed it.

"What's a chronograph?", Ino asked this time.

"The first time travelling machine", Mibuki interjected.

"Why did Rin run away with it ?", Sakura asked. She wanted to know more about this Rin.

"Nobody knows, everyone calls her a traitor in The Order, they say she wanted to quench her selfish desires", said aunt Chio sadly, "Though, as much as I remember, she was a very gentle and a brave girl. She and your mom were the best of friends."

"She wasn't a traitor nor did she run away for selfish desires. She had a goal in mind and it was to protect everyone. She was selfless and stupid, if ask me. She knew something that the others in the circle didn't and that is all you need to know", Mibuki said sternly and then smiled at everyone.

It was clear to everyone that no more conversation on this topic was going to take place. There was an awkward silence where everyone stared at each other.

"What about a Karaoke evening, everyone?", asked Ino awkwardly, trying to cool down the environment.

"Sounds awesome", everyone agreed.

And with that, everyone went to the home theatre at the second floor; singing, dancing and laughing until 11 pm. Thats when Mr. Dock left to call the sweepers to clean up and Ino decided to go home.

"Tell her tonight", Ino said when Sakura accompanied her to the door of the house.

"Hm, I'll try", she agreed.

"Try to keep safe." Ino said giving a quick hug to Sakura, and with that she left.

* * *

Sakura's eyes opened in the middle of the night. She checked her phone and it was 3:30am in the morning. She felt a bit weird, like everything inside her body was fluid, she almost chocked at the sour burp and sat up immediately.

"Yuck", she cursed, "I should drink some water", she mumbled to herself. With that she stood, and this time, without any warning, she was sucked in by a force, landing on the wooden floor of her room.

 _What just happened?_

She sat up, only to see that the decor of the room had changed, not completely, but mostly. The room was dark, but enough light was there to make out the different arrangement of bed and sofa. They looked more antique and mature.

 _Another time travel? Jesus, no !_

She got out of the room, realising no one was awake. She walked towards the study at the first floor, seeing the lights switched on.

As she peeped through the half opened door, she saw an old man seated on the comfortable large sofa with a thick book opened infront of him. As she looked closely, she realised it was none other than her grandfather looking much younger than she remembered.

"Grandpa!", Sakura couldn't control the overwhelming feeling inside her . She wanted to go and give him a tight hug and tell him how rude grandma was to her sometimes. She wanted to tell him how she had ended up in the 19th century only hours ago, and tell him how worried she was.

But then a thought popped up.

 _He won't recognise me! He doesn't even know who I am, he looks so much younger! Great idiot, now he'll think you're a burglar and you'll be put in jail! Amazing. Run now, before he has a chance to come out of the room, go and hide in the kitchen._

Before Sakura could even move a single strand she heard her grandfather.

"Sakura dear, is that you?"

Sakura froze on the spot. _How does he know me? Is there someone else by the same name? No._

"Yes grandpa, Its me", Sakura tried stepping inside the room to give him a full view.

"Hahaha", grandpa laughed, " Come here sit, by the ways, nice pajama's ", he said as he beckoned for her to take a seat beside him.

"Thanks", Sakura said awkwardly walking towards him to take a seat. The old man engulfed her in a giant hug.

"How do you know who I am ?", she inquired still not understanding how he knows her at all, she wouldn't even be born right now.

"Oh that, don't worry, we'll meet a lot after this." He assured her.

Sakura frowned but let it pass, there were more important things she needed to ask to the head of The Order, sitting infront of her.

"Grandpa, I traveled back in time."

"Yeah, I can surely see it, tell me is it your first time?"

"No, the second. I think both Karin and I have inherited the gene and -"

"Karin...," he tried to think hard, remembering her.

"You don't know her?"

"No, not yet."

"Oh, aunt Kate's daughter. She's beautiful, she has your moustache", Sakura said.

"What!?", grandpa shrieked.

Sakura burst into laughter at his bewildered expressions. "Kidding, she's the one who was thought to inherit the gene and time travel. Though, she hasn't done that yet. Everyone at The Order and house is expecting her to travel, but she's not. Grandma it very worried, she had trained her, her whole life how to sit, talk and act in sophisticated gatherings. Karin's all that grandma ever see's", she added the last part in a quite voice.

"Kiyara, huh ? She's just a little more towards the perfectionist side, she doesn't mean to be biased. She just needs to keep up the family name, you know? How's everything in future?"

"Everything's good", she decided not to tell him all the sad and annoying part, he'd be happier if he never knows the discrimination grandma does to her own daughter just because she didn't marry someone of her status and chose someone she dearly loved.

"Mom, Mibuki has two children, me and james, she's married a British Army Officer, grandma hates him dearly, and aunt Kate has only Karin. Aunt Chio lives with us and everyone including grandma remembers you dearly". She wished she hadn't added the last last part.

"Ah! I'm already dead ? "

"Yes, you died when I was-"

"Shhhh, don't speak."

Suddenly Sakura's felt dizzy. Grandfather notices it immediately.

"We have less time Sakura, so listen." He said shaking her to draw her attention, it worked. She looked him in the eye and heard with as much focus as she could gather.

"Listen, Sakura, you are The Ruby. The last to complete the circle of blood. You must remember not to trust anyone. Anyone from The Order, you can count only on Kakashi, you understand, do you ?", he asked looking serious.

"Yes, I get it. But I want to know-"

Suddenly they heard footsteps approaching the study, "Go, hide behind the curtain, quick".

Instantly, Sakura ran towards the curtains and hid herself behind them, though she still managed to peep slightly.

Two men, dressed in black robes entered the room.

"Hisashi !", called one of them.

"What's the matter gentlemen", Hisashi asked curtly, though it seemed like he knew what the matter was.

"Rin and Obito have run away with the chronograph!", he said gritting his teeth the other man just stood there. "Tell me, whenever something stupid happens, why is it always the Haruno's, huh ? What are you gonna do about it, now ?"

"Don't forget she ran with your younger brother, Uchiha", Hisashi said in defence.

"But, it's she who knew-"

The dizziness took over her and she was sucked back again to the present, only this time when Sakura landed on the floor, her back hit the wall with force.

"Shit", she cursed, "If this shit continues, l'm gonna kill a bitch."

With that she sat up and walked to her room, in the door way remembering her grandfather's words.

 _You're the Ruby, the last. Trust no one...trust no one? Didn't aunt Chio say the same thing ? What does that mean at all ? Are people at The Order that miserable? And who the hell is Kakashi, and why did grandpa said I could count on him._

The very moment Ino left, Sakura had tried to approach her mother, but even before she could tell what had happened, Mibuki began; "Sakura, love, I want you to stay away from the chaos in this weird family. I want you to study and settle somewhere away from these mad people and forget all about these fairy tales. I, myself try to lead a normal life where all people live in the present." With that she kissed Sakura and retired to her room never giving Sakura the chance to tell that; The tales from which Mibuki was trying to run were Sakura's reality.

She went to her room and called Ino, it was 4:07 am in the morning and she told her everything. She listened patiently and then said at last, "I'll do my research. We'll discuss in school today."

* * *

"Forehead, if you don't come down in a second, I'm leaving", Karin called to Sakura, standing on the gate while Sakura was wearing her shoes and came running to the gate to join Karin. They were heading to school together. Sakura had always begged Karin to take her car to school but Karin, health conscious as ever preferred to walk whenever she had the option.

"Your Audi's gonna rust in the garage", Sakura said.

"Its better off if it's rusted rather than you step into it", Karin said smiling. Sakura shook her head in disappointment.

"Where did you guys go last night?", Sakura asked.

"To the Order, obviously. They're eating up my head asking me continuously if I time travelled or not", Karin said annoyed.

"And did you?", Sakura asked nervously, the hope was evident in her voice.

"Not yet! For the 100th time! The dizzy feeling and the head aches are there but nothing significant or other than that."

"Karin, tell me, how are you sure that you're the one? I mean everyone's always believed it's you? Why so? ", Sakura engulfed trying not to get Kain annoyed and leave the conversation. But it seemed like she fed Karin's ego, because a smug smile broke on her lips.

"Well, its because my birth date and time was already calculated. I was always destined to be born and be the one and only, the last time traveller", she said but a frown appeared on her perfect face, "Other than that, I don't know anything."

 _The last time traveler ? Isn't that what grandpa said I was? Shit, God, kill me before Karin does. If she comes to know of it either she'll kill me or die herself._

"Other than that you have no clue!?", Sakura asked, "Are you shitting me ? You've been training for something for years now, with that I'm-too-sexy-for-you-pompous-prick!", Sakura said remembering their last interaction where he was mentally stabbing her.

Karin laughed a bit, "Sasuke? Yeah, we have been training for years now, together", she added. "And for your kind information, he's a gentleman. He knows exactly how to treat and do with a lady", she said dreamily and Sakura felt like throwing up after hearing that.

"Are you guy's dating ?", she asked.

"You seem to be very interested", Karin teased.

"Interested, my ass, I just wanna be the one to start the gossip", Sakura plied.

"We're not dating, we're 'just friends', very good friends-"

"As in friends with benefit ?", Sakura offered rolling her eyes.

"A sex deprived weirdo can't think of anything except for that?", Karin said, "we're good friends, in future maybe more, who knows? When he starts going to the past with me. I'm sure there's a lot waiting for us. By the ways, he calls me every night before bed", she boasted smirking.

"That's sad, I actually thought you got nuts and hallucinated at night", Sakura said in a disappointed tone.

Karin rolled her eyes, school was just infront of them. Karin stopped to search something in her bag and Sakura stopped next to her. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Karin, your curls, lipstick, mascara and blush are as sluty as ever. Don't worry."

But when Karin took out a beautiful blood red hairpin; butterfly shaped, Sakura frowned. It seemed as if it were studded with Ruby, but obviously it wasn't real.

"Don't tell me you're gonna wear that to school, 'cus if you do, I'm not walking to the school with you wearing this. Please, Karin, this hairpin is for parties and outings, not school-"

"Shut up, will you ? Yesterday, l couldn't give it to you and don't make that face, you look more pathetic. Also, I couldn't find a more shabbier thing in the book", Karin said handing Sakura the pin.

"Thanks, its lovely-"

"Save it, don't get all worked up over nothing. I still hate you."

"Yeah, me too." Both of them hid the smile that played at the corners on their lips.

And with that they entered the school.

* * *

 ** _A/N-_** The second chapter ends here! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed T_T I love you guys so much, and to all the new reader, **_PLEASE REVIEW_** AND _LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKE THE STORY TILL HERE? ARE THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT CAN HELP ME ? DO YOU LIKE SAKURA AND KARIN'S RELATIONSHIP?_


	3. Chapter 3- A New entry

_**A/N;**_ _3rd update! Wohoo!_

 _I know it's been long since the last update, bruhhh, I'm so busy! The Like why won't studies ever finish!?_

 _Nevermind, I wanted to share about this song I heard recently and boy! I heard it on repeat for over 2 days(side by side doing physics, sad life) and realised how sassy the whole song was XD._

 _I really wanted all of you to hear it too, 'cus the chick dancing is super hot and the guyis cute as hell but the song is in my native language so you guys won't understand the lyrics. It consists of 3 languages and not one of them is english._

 _So, here I'm going to translate it for ya guys-(its a long song-3mins so i wouldn't to tell everything-lol)_

 _The girl ( I thought of her as Sakura) starts the music video talking about having just a 'one night thing' and never meeting again in a very sassy way._

 _The cute guy;I fell in love with (Naruto, totally fits as him) goes on saying-_

 _There are a hundred types of disease I can handle, then what is to handle a petty disease of love._

 _And if only it's for the sake of saying, then whats the harm in saying that I can give up my life, if you ask._

 _Then there's alot of dance until the girl goes to the hot emo sexy kawaii (totally Sasuke, lol) and says-_

 _Give me space between the comfort of your arms,_

 _With you, I have a business of a few pleasurable moments._

 _And the hotty responds by saying and picking her up-_

 _'Like you, too, my heart is very selfish._

 _And if you say so, then whats the harm in just saying that I can give up my life if you ask.'_

 _And the song goes on mixing 3 different languages together( not even one of them is English, else i would have put up the link for it, its an amazing dance video and the music is hellllaaaa good! If any of u still wanna see it, tell me in the review section ;) )_

* * *

"So you haven't told your mom yet", Ino's voice came.

"It's not like I didn't try, I went up to her but something always happens...", she trailed off.

"Hm ", Ino sighed.

They were in the girls bathroom in one compartment, Ino had put the seat cover and sat on it, a big file of Wikipedia were bind to it. She had taken a sitting of two and a half hours went through every article on time travelling. Most of them consisted of myths and stories.

"So, did you find anything productive ?", Sakura asked hopefully, "Are you sure I'm not going nuts? 'Cus if that happens one more time, I'm gonna puke my guts out."

"Started having motion sickness?", Ino joked. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"After spending an hour or so, I found this guy, look closely", Ino said pointing a finger on the Wikipedia painting of a man with flawless black hair that were held into a loose ponytail with many bangs falling on his forehead, the arrogance was evident from his posture and the slight smirk that played at the corner of his lips was distracting, he was without doubt handsome with his rich and defined body and face structure.

"Who's this?"

"Uchiha Madara."

"Hn."

"This guy was a crazy mathematician, worked extensively on calculus, you know, just a very smart and crazy dude with explosives ideas. I read some of his theories and works and I swear I couldn't figure out shit."

"Okay... what's he to do with all this ?", Sakura asked.

"Yes, while going through his Wikipedia and whatever I could make out of few of his theories, this dude was working on a crazy project; to built a time machine. His page tells that once he started to work on the time machine, he never quite came out of his hole. Nobody knows what happened to him or where he went, his body was no where to be found, only when his house was searched were his theories come to light. There are very weird myths surrounding this guy, some people believed he sacrificed his soul to the devil, that's crazy, I mean why would such a smart guy do such a dumb thing, whatever, and some say he actually traveled through time and got stuck in some other time zone."

"Woh, that escalated quickly", Sakura said. "So, you think he made an actual time machine?"

"To be honest, I don't think a time machine can ever be invented, It just sounds cool in movies", Ino said. "But I think that he did travel through time, I think he was a time traveler too, you know ? And then he got this weird idea, why not invent one for everyones use?", Ino laughed.

* * *

Karin was eating in the canteen until she felt a little dizzy and then had to leave for the bathroom.

All her dizziness vaporised once she heard the sound of Sakura and Ino talking about something, she tried to hear them from the washroom door but couldn't make out the syllables.

Suddenly a mischievous idea popped into her mind; 'Mrs. Bose gonna love this, wait here girls until I'm back with your favourite teacher.'

* * *

The door of the washroom was being madly banged by someone screaming Sakura's and Ino's name mindlessly.

"Come out you girls before I sign your suspension letters", came a very shrill voice.

"Tell me, this isn't happening", Sakura muttered as she unlocked the door.

* * *

"Seriously you girls were mindlessly fucking in the girls bathroom?", came Nathan's voice. He was a fairly handsome guy with brown hair and grey eyes.

"Tell me Karin clipped your video and is going to make that viral", Jonathan joked grinning madly. He had joined the school in 6th grade and his native place was Africa. He was tall, dark and the head of the school music club.

"Go to hell, you guys", Sakura said rolling her eyes.

"Nah, I was just wondering how sad Naruto'll be to miss out on the three sum", Jonathan joked again, this time earning a loud laugh from Nathan as they both high-fived each other.

Mrs. Bose had given Sakura and Ino a good shout and a never ending lecture on moral values, etiquettes, 'this generation', and the code of conduct of ladies; nobody but Karin understood that. She was an old, plump and tall woman. As long as Sakura remembered she had never owned more than 3 pair of clothing, her hair were always untidily made and clenched into a lose bun and a frown always adorned her face.

But at the end however, she got a call from her daughter and left Ino and Sakura stand there until she motioned them to get the hell out of the bathroom.

There was still 25mins before their biology class. So they headed towards the cafeteria and as they did, everyone was giggling, they just ignored Jonathan and Nathan and had only taken a seat when-

"Ino!", Naruto shrieked as he came running toward her.

Sakura and Ino turned immediately and it was only in a split of a second that he had landed by Ino's side, took her by the face and kissed her covetously. Sakura narrowed her eyes thinking what made Naruto kiss Ino so erotically in public and it came to her after few seconds.

' _Wow even he believes that stupid gossip Karin spread. Amazing_.'

She lightly smirked then and let them have their moment, getting up, she walked out of the cafeteria and into the deserted corridor; other classes must have started, she thought looking into the watch where there was only 15 mins left for her biology class.

* * *

"Tell me, you still feel the spark", Naruto said breathlessly.

"Narutoh," she said trying to catch some breath, "I do but whats got into you suddenly?-", she never got a chance to finish her sentence when he caught her lips again.

* * *

As Sakura walked into the empty corridor with only a janitor mobbing the floor she felt her brain activity slow down a bit, she stopped for a moment to comprehend what happened but in mere seconds she was sucked by a great force and she landed on the floor, again.

"Bloody hell!", Sakura cursed getting up. "Don't tell me it happened in school. Please no-," she trailed off instantly as her eyes fell on decoration in the room, she gasped. It was beautiful and antique, and decorated finely for an occasion. Even as the door of the empty room was closed, she could still here the orchestra and voices of people. It wasn't her school building, Sakura could assure. The room was big and spacious. She wanted to take in many more details but she heard the doors open slightly and she could hear two people arguing.

"Sakura! Listen, Sakura! -", the owner of the voice appeared following a lady in a gown, the likes of which duchess used to wear to a ball.

"Sasuke, if you don't believe me stop asking me talk to him! That man doesn't give me good vibes!", said the woman.

 _What the fuck!?_

 _'Sakura' ? Who's she?_

 _And Sasuke too!? What the fucking fuck is that!?_

 _Chill out Sak, there are a million Sakura in the world-_

But when the woman turned to give a clear view of her face, by chance directly staring into Sakura's eyes, she swore her heart skipped a beat.

 _Hell, fucking hell no! That can't be true! I can't be staring at myself! That just can't be me! Is this a dream time travel i've started to do. Please wake up, Sakura'!_

Even the talking woman stopped mid-sentence staring at her as puzzled as the real Sakura was, a frown appeared on her pretty face.

"Sakura, are you listening...", Sasuke's voice trailed off trying to follow the fake Sakura's line of sight.

Sakura, who was clumsily hid behind the curtain's tried to hide herself further, the last thing she wanted to do was being thrown into the dungeons of this priceless palace. Sakura prayed to God to let her live this time, she didn't want to rust in the dark and the dirty dungeons.

"Who's there?", she heard Sasuke's as clear as the day.

It was only then that she realised that the curtain she had chosen to hide behind was translucent, through the curtain she saw Sasuke pointing his sword at her direction from far apart.

 _God please save your holy child. I haven't even had my first kiss yet. Shut up, Sakura! Don't be ridiculous right now!_

"There's no one there Sasuke", came the woman's voice, her hand crept to Sasuke's face turning it to her in a coaxing way. This weird act made the real Sakura cringe lightly considering the dense situation.

 _Did the woman not see me? I remember her staring right into eyes! Thank you God!_

Sasuke lightly shook his head redirecting it towards the curtains, "No, Sakura, I think l saw someone there."

 _No man, No! There's no one out here! Just fucking go away! ... Hey, what the fuck-_

The next thing that happened made Sakura go nuts, her eyes popped out of her sockets, she mindlessly shifted the curtains a little to have a clear view, and boy, she couldn't just believe her eyes.

The woman had boldly turned Sasuke by his collar, turning his back to the real Sakura behind the curtains, and pressed her lips to his. Sasuke obliged immediately without further struggle, in fact he looked more eager than the woman herself.

And for Sakura it was as if seeing her mirror image from the past making out with the imposter Sasuke. She didn't know what she exactly felt nor could she understand what was happening at all, as she was staring at the couple( she guessed, they were) shamelessly sharing a heated kiss she saw the woman( the fake Sakura as she would call) open her eyes to make an eye contact with her, she motioned one hand directing Sakura to hide behind the grand sofa while her other hand was tucked in Sasuke's hair.

Sakura hadn't frowned this deep in her intire life, what the hell was happening at all? Why was this Sakura helping her? She couldn't point or come to a specific conclusion. Under normal circumstances, she would never obey a stranger's orders but neither this was a normal situation nor she was a normal girl. She obliged albeit her better judgement and when she moved, her head started to throb again and the last view she remembered was seeing Sasuke push Sakura to the wall and caging her with a devilish smirk.

* * *

Yesterday

5:30am

Have a safe journey :)

Today

3:30am

Hope you reached home ;)

Today

4:15am

Akhi texted me you've reached, lol, seems like someone's very tired XD

Gaara stared at his phone screen, the contact name read Temari. The display picture was of a girl with shoulder length, straight blond hair wearing a cream gown and red lipstick, crushing two red heads in black expensive suit into her arms and a brunet engulfed the three of them in a giant family hug. The candid was pure glee. It was the first time in years that he noticed how much he had grown to resemble his father, at the thought of that a small smile appeared on his lips.

Gaara had arrived at 3 am in the morning and he was so tired that he didn't even take off his shoes before slamming into his king size bed. He wasn't that kind of a guy to begin with, throwing his things around or being untidy, it was just that he wasn't the most comfortable person when it came to travelling. He did not have motion sickness or nausea but he just couldn't sleep during flights, in cars, metro or any moving vehicle for that matter. The event which he had to attend was already the most exhausting experience till date, his dad had won the general elections held in the country and the celebration was huge, every important person in Japan was present in the party. He had to leave that very night for London to catch up in school, he had already taken a week long holiday after Temari and Kunkaro had insisted his presence, he couldn't deny them at any cost.

So, here he was, standing in the school with only three hours worth of sleep, if it wasn't for his amazingly handsome looks he was sure he would have looked like a zombie considering the light dark circles which had already begin to form

"Ouch!"

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the shrill voice.

 _Sakura_?

He looked up from his phone screen to see Sakura lying on the floor with the insides of her bag rolled out. A frown adored her face and he could see her muttering something to herself, clueless of his presence.

"Ah! Where did she come- did she just-" he looked at the old janitor who looked like she had seen a ghost walk by. He saw as she took few steps back and covered her lips then came towards Sakura. It was only then that Ino came into the corridor; running with an equally horrified look and commanded Sakura something before coaxing the old woman to go with her. Sakura, presently sat there trying to collect her books, lip balm and many more things which girls carry just in case.

"Sakura", he voiced before he moved swiftly towards her trying to replay the scene as to how she popped out of nowhere, in the back of his head.

"Gaara!", Sakura chirruped almost excitedly and immediately turned a deep shade of pink. He smirked at the effect he had on her.

He naturally bent down to pick up the abandoned loose sheets that were out of her reach and moved closer to her, bending down to hand them over. As she took it from him, their hands brushed lightly; his cold pale fingers on her warm, lively toned, petite fingers. Gaara reasoned it to be a happy coincidence and nothing more. When everything was in, they stood up.

"When did you came back?", she asked, though her tone was very urgent as if she had to leave right now.

"Today itself, at 3 am", he replied casually with a light shrug.

 _Should i wish her belated happy birthday? No, it will be awkward as hell._

 _Should I ask her to hang out with me tomorrow?_

 _Maybe.._

 _And what will you say to her? Hey Sakura, wanna come with me to the beach so that we can chill a bit away from the people in school and away from Mrs. Bose's lecture?_

 _Ask her in the biology class not right now. Ask here there._

 _Yeah, okay._

"Oh, I see, I- then I should get going", she turned quickly towards the other side and started to walk quickly, urgently and unlike her, Gaara noticed.

"Sakura", Gaara called again, she turned quickly to face him and a questioning expression painted on her face, " the class is on this side of the corridor, where are you going? "

"Oh, actually I'm not feeling very well right now. I gotta call mom", she said shrugging lightly, he nodded.

 _Great. Plans cancelled, for the 10th time_.

"See you later", Sakura smiled once, lightly, before turning around and practically running to the administration office to make a call.

Gaara shook his head lightly, a small smile formed on his lips. She was definitely the cutest girl he'd met, thanks to Mrs. Bose who had fixed her seat with him due to her excessive chit-chatting with Ino and Naruto in class. Now, as they sat together he swore they talked even more than she did before only this time they had resorted to whispering at the last bench rather than a loud mouth Naruto shooting jokes every second.

* * *

Sakura sat in the car next to her mother.

"Mom, where are we going?", the irritation was evident in her voice.

"How many times have you time travelled already?", Mebuki asked softly sparing Sakura a sympathetic smile.

Sakura swallowed the lump, "Three times, since yesterday."

"Sakura... and you're telling me now? I should have been careful in the first place itself but Sweetheart you should have informed me earlier, but its okay, you'll be safe now."

Something was off about all of this, her mother didn't look the least bit shocked, it was as if she looked disappointed. It looked as if she was herself trying to avoid this.

"You knew it was me ever since, didn't you mom?", Sakura asked bluntly. At her words, Mebuki didn't reply, she preferred silence.

"I-I didn't want you to live on thousands of restrictions and expectations. I wanted you to grow and learn yourself, move around freely and lead a normal life for as long as it was possible. I choose freedom for you and as for our self defence I put you in taekwondo classes since you were a baby, you can't be mad at me for it." She said sparing Sakura a look to examine her face, she was relieved when she saw Sakura chuckle lightly.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you more."

"Though, where are we going?"

"To the Order. I think I found them their Ruby."

* * *

A/N _: I'm sorry for the late update, i know i suck but forgive me. I am veryyyyyyyyyyy busy until June, 2019 so the updates might be even slower than this but i swearrr i'm gonna finish this story 'cus its all planned out in my head. So please bear with me and I promise I'll end it next year for sure._

So please _**REVIEWWW**_ , _**FOLLOW, FAVOURITE ;)**_

 _ **What do u guys think about GaaraSaku ? I think its hella cute XD**_

 _ **Though, do tell me what you'd like to see of him in future, i always expect yur reviews *_***_

P/s- Mrs. Bose is my actual bio teacher and she and I don't really get along. If anyone from my school sees this, lol its gonna be awkward.


	4. Chapter 4- The Order

_**A/N: I know, I know the updates are veryy uneven but pls bear with me until July, I am superrrrr busy with my college entrance exams coming up but don't worry I AM NOT GONNA LEAVE THIS STORY INCOMPLETE.**_

 _ **Pls REVIEW, FAVOURITE, FOLLOW ;)**_

* * *

The car stopped infront of a huge black marble building. The rays of the sun rebounded from the glossy surface with such ease that the building could be mistaken for glowing itself.

The numerous guards standing on every check-post were hard to miss. The gatekeeper had asked them for an ID card to allow the car to enter, obviously they didn't have one.

"Mibuki, I'm not allowed to let anyone enter unless they have an ID-"

"Kate and Mom are inside, check me in under their name. And I hope you haven't forgotten I am Hisashi's daughter."

The gatekeeper signalled the other guards to clear the entrance.

Once they enter the building Mibuki seemed to be perplexed about the place in general while Sakura was mesmerised. The building seemed to be a reminiscent of antiquity, merging the past and present architecture into a terrifying structure.

"Mibuki! It's been so long since I last saw you! And oh! Is that your daughter, she's grown so beautiful!", a woman in her late 40's chirruped excitedly sitting behind the reception giving Sakura a very pleased look. Sakura returned the smile very courteously.

"Hey Rose, its good to see you too but I urgently need to see Orochimaru. Right now."

The smile on the woman's place was replaced by a slight look of confusion, "I'm sorry Mibuki dear, he's very busy and has asked not to be disturb-"

"I've brought the real Ruby."

The smile was mobbed by a dead serious look and and she looked at Sakura again but no smile this time accompanied. "Room no. 104, East wing, 7th floor." Mibuki nodded, signalling Sakura to follow up. They passed through a very complex route until they took the elevator finally to the 7th floor.

In the elevator Mibuki gave a reassuring smile to Sakura.

"Sakura, whatever happened, tell them the truth. They are the only ones that can help." To it Sakuura nodded obediently but the words of gradpa kept ringing in her head- 'Do not trust anyone except for Kakashi' Who was Kakashi, anyways ?

Before they stepped out of the elevator Mibuki stopped her, " Just remember Sakura, these might be the only people that can help but do not trust any of them."

 _Who 'are' these people ?_

Sakura couldn't shake away the uneven feeling. The stress and pressure that was being build up made her want to puke out the insides of her stomach, not to mention that her stomach started aching vigorously.

 _Come on Sakura, how bad can they be? They can't be worst than the people you live with, right? Come onnn! They aren't monsters, they are just... just manipulative, high-headed, untrustworthy people. Hahaha... it's not like they're gonna bite you or something._

Sakura followed Mibuki to a huge door with 107 carved on a plate next to it. The door was a junction of two opposite paths converging. Mibuki's pace increased leaving Sakura to take mindless quick strides in her direction only to bump into someone.

Now. To put it as a mere bump would be an understatement. It seemed more like her senses were slapped back into her. Ever suffered from cold; numb and bitter, and realised what a blessing a warm summer day basking under the sun on a beach is?that's what Sakura felt ;rejoiced with energy. Bumping into him felt like a nuclear fission reaction, it made every atom in her body vibrate. Her heartbeat automatically increased simultaneously increasing the amount of oxygen required. Her chest puffed out intaking more air. She swore she felt her senses being aware and sensitive to even the slightest of movements. She looked up to meet the darkest shade of black envelope her. The eyes immediately reminded her of Sasuke, his were the most intimidating set, but what she was staring at weren't just charcoal black, they were **dark, observing, breath taking and inescapable**. His eyes were framed with thick outline of black eyeliner like ink on a parchment of paper, on fleek, which added on to the intensity of his glare. His skin was evenly toned, not lively white and neither tanned but somewhere in between. A very classic smirk played on his lips and she was immediately reminded of a very specific Uchiha.

His inky locks were rebelliously out of the ponytail and poured on his shoulders like the waves of sea at midnight on the sandy land.

"So you're finally here." She heard him whisper so lightly that it could have been mistaken for a husky wet breath at the end of her jawline, infront of her ear. She didn't miss how his lips ever so lightly brushed her jawline. Sakura resisted the obvious reaction her body was giving. His smirk deepened. Her body didn't know how to move away but gathering every ounce of sanity left in her she willed her limbs to move, **To move away** from this man. However alluring he was there was something different about him, something weird-

"Sakura! Here", Mibuki's voice came but she was nowhere in sight. Sakura immediately stepped back breathing harder as every step she took away from him, she felt less high on energy, less sensitive to every stimulus. Her breathing going back to normal and she feeling normal again. Yes, she felt normal, she felt comfortable. She felt better.

Not looking back again, Sakura entered the spacious room. The room was painted white and highlighted by golden. The first thing that came into view was Karin, Kate and grandma on the luxurious sofa sitting next to a man with such striking silver-anti-gravity-hair that it was hard to tell if they were naturally so or he had dyed them. As Sakura entered, their eyes were fixed on the entrance as if waiting for her. She didn't make an eye contact with Karin because she felt guilty for some reason, she felt like she was taking away, no, _snatching away_ what she had forever dreamed of. And as she felt the weight of her glare on her back, she didn't even know how she was standing upright. The next she saw her mom standing infront of a table with a man sitting behind it.

"Orochimaru", her mother addressed him. The man smiled, and it was a smile that would make you uncomfortable to the core.

"Mibuki, what brings you here out of the blues-"

"I've brought the Ruby."

As the words left her lips the intensity of glares on them intensified over a 100 times. Everyone was gobsmacked and seething with rage, indignation, indecision, agitation and much more crossed their faces in rapid succession. Except Orochimaru, he seemed to enjoy all this.

"What the hell are you saying, do you even know the weight of your words", a man standing next to Orochimaru spoke up, his tone sharp.

"Yes, I know what I'm saying and thats the truth. My daughter, Sakura, is the Ruby. She has already time traveled three times-"

Her mother was cut by the sarcastic laugh of her aunt, Kate. "Really, Mibuki ? Bored of living like a side kick _again_? And so now you try to get some attention by coming up with something so mindless and stupid. You know very well that Madara Uchiha himself predicted the date of birth of the Ruby and according to his calculations Karin was born that day, not Sakura! She was born when the clock had struck 12. So, if your little drama is over, please move out, we are very busy, Karin's headache's are becoming uncontrollable."

"I can't care a damn about your stupid jealousy doses, Kate. But what I do care is that my daughter has traveled 3 times in the past and two times her life was at stake. And as for Madara's calculations, he seemed to predict wrong. Period." If someone was badass in the room, her mother was, Sakura thought. At that point Karin started to cry soundlessly, her eyes become heavy and a few drops slid down her cheek.

Thats when Sakura noticed Orochimaru looking at something behind her even in this chaos, she tilted her head to meet the same man whom she collided with, he was standing on the far back of the room reading a file but when Orochimaru looked at him, he nodded ever so lightly for anyone to notice. It was only after that Orochimaru cut the arguing sisters in the background.

"Ladies, please", he soothed licking his lips,"Can we please let Sakura talk."

As he ended everyone looked at her, she suddenly felt her heartbeat shoot up, Mibuki though gave her a reassuring smile and led Sakura to speak up.

"Oh yeah, it all started yesterday after I finished school and was coming back, on the road I felt hella dizzy, like it wan't the first time I felt dizzy, this headache thing was going over 6 months, suddenly coming in spurts and vanishing for days. But yeah, yesterday I went back to the reign of King George lll and the guards were taking me away to burn me alive, they took me to be a witch with all these weird clothes and hairstyles. But luckily at that very moment I came back. The next I traveled back around 3 am today, I saw grandpa sitting in the study room, I'd actually thought he'd freak out and call the cops but he seemed pleased to meet me", Sakura took a breath and ignored the conversation part, she wouldn't lie but neither would she trust." And yet again in school l was pulled back in time to a ball, there I saw myself arguing with some guy and then the other me helped the real me to hide from the stranger 'cus he was gonna you know kill me. So I was very scared-"

"Okay, Okay", Orouchimaru hissed at last as if amazed how someone could speak for this long in only one breath. "Kakashi, if she says the truth, she must travel again soon, as per her frequency. Until then take her." Orochimaru said eyeing the silver haired man. The sentence heard by a third party didn't make sense but to Kakashi; he nodded and walked up to Sakura, smiling. In this act his eyes thinned into lines and his smile so genuine that Sakura felt more at ease.

 _Kakashi ? Wasn't he the one grandpa mentioned about?_

 _Is he really the one?_

 _All the doubts were erased the moment he smiled; a very sweet and comforting one_.

"Come with me, Sakura."

Sakura looked at her mother for a final reassurance and Mibuki nodded.

Sakura gave a small smile to her mom once before she followed Kakashi out of the room. Sakura tried to ignore as Karin's sobs grew louder and Kate's piercing glares penetrated holes into her back, her grandmother on the other hand was shocked and Sakura wondered if she was even breathing, but once out of the room and pass the hallway, Sakura entered the lift with Kakashi and closed the doors to anything stressful. She had had enough drama for one day, well that was what she thought.

"You've grown big, huh?", Kakashi chuckled slightly, "The last time I saw you, you were 4-5, your grandfather brought you here with him, you and Karin, both. Ah... time flies", said the man glancing at Sakura but his look was distant as if it were not her he was seeing but something else, something which brought back memories, good or bad? Sakura couldn't decide.

Grinning awkwardly, Sakura replied, "It sure does, now I'm 18 and preparing for University and suddenly I'm in the middle of the streets, I slept through, in my history text books." If she was nervous she won't show.

"Yeah, _that_ I call a problem, but don't worry, we'll find a way." The elevator doors opened and Kakashi stepped out, giving Sakura a sideways look, he winked playfully as if mentioning an inside joke, "We always do."

Sakura frowned lightly but followed his lead.

"Yeah, so I was wondering where we're going ? I mean, I am very clueless of absolutely everything that's happening right now", she found herself naturally relaxing around Kakashi.

"Oh yeah, We're going... to introduce you to someone and shortly after that I'll give you a brief sum up of your...gift." The gear of his mind worked cautiously in order to construct a careful response.

 _Wow,_ _that_ _was very specific. Meet someone, shortly after, your gift. That definitely clears up all doubts._

As they entered a room sound of music soothed their ears. Sakura wasn't much into music, she was more into dancing. She didn't know how to explain to anyone the fact that even as she loved to dance she didn't quite fancy listening to music much. It wasn't that she didn't like music but she was very selective in her taste. Even so as the sound of violin vibrated in her ears, she liked it.

They walked up to the guy playing it, his back turned to the door. It was only then that Sakura realised who it was.

No, no, no! Not him! Please not him!

"Kakashi, I think we can skip this, he looks busy-"

"Sasuke, meet Haruno Sakura." Sasuke turned around to see Sakura stand next to Kakashi, "And Sakura, meet Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura noticed him wearing black denim jeans with a chiseled white shirt rather than his regular suit-pant. He looked less dressed for formal and too alluring for general. His hair were made perfectly and so were his expressions. Sakura tried very hard not to stare at him. Sexy or not, he was a bossy-arrogant-prick, that was established from previous records.

Sasuke's brow lifted slightly in a mocking fashion,"We have met already", Sasuke spoke staring straight in Sakura's eyes, "And my suit is still at the dry cleaners." He added, making Sakura roll her eyes dramatically.

"Sad? That you have to wear normals clothes for a change?", Sakura said eyeing his black jeans and white shirt. She didn't miss how his expressions turned sharper, even a bit.

"Mannerless, are we?", Sasuke said in a venomous tone which left Sakura embarrassed.

It wasn't the worst insult she'd received, she'd heard far beyond this but to be spoken to in that way infront of her grandfather's very trusted friend made her feel very less deserving of the attention and gift( that's what Kakashi called it) she was given.

"Sasuke", Kakashi said in a stern tone. Sasuke took a breath, "What is she doing here, anyways ?"

"Oh, that. Well, its a bit complex you see, umm, to put it in simpler terms, Sakura is the new Karin, I guess you could say." Kakashi shrugged lightly. "What..?", Sasuke frowned deeper than ever before and then gave a sarcastic laugh, "Is this again one of your silly jokes, Kakashi?" When Kakashi didn't join the laughter Sasuke's expressions turned dead serious, "You gotta be kidding my ass."

Kakashi cleared his throat," You should go to the Dragon Hall, Danzo will fill you in with the details. Until then I need to explain stuff to our potential Ruby."

As Sasuke went he made sure to push Sakura lightly by the shoulder to prove his very clear point. _He was pissed, maybe, beyond pissed_.

"Forgive Sasuke. He's not usually like this... with girls", he added. "He just has a lot upon him."

"Yeah, right." Sakura rolled her eyes, ignoring how dripping sexy he looked, he was a manhole and she hated him, period.

They entered another room which was smaller than the previous rooms but looked extremely important. From the ceiling painted with constellations, the study table pilled neatly with scrolls, a full wall devoted to a bookshelf, the floor carved into a design of circles with various gemstone studded into it in a complex pattern, everything was mind boggling. Then her eyes fell on a portrait of a man, shoulders out, chest lifted proudly and pride coating every inch of his skin. "Uchiha Madara", Sakura spoke without even realising it.

"Yes, you're right. Uchiha Madara, the first person to build the time machine. Its his office", Kakashi took a seat on a sofa and motioned Sakura to make herself comfortable too. "And if you turn out to be the Ruby, remember this room is the only place on Earth that you'll be completely safe. I mean, you're smart enough to figure out till now that you can end up anywhere in the infinity of time, in the middle of a war, in the depth of the ocean, run down by the kings carriage or thrown to burn alive."

"Yeah, I understand", Sakura swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"But this room, at any given point of time is constructed to be the safest place. Madara looked into it himself." Kakashi poured a streaming cup of tea and offered Sakura some biscuits but as she took one the throbbing in her head started again. She ignored it, she had questions which she hoped he'll answer.

"See, I don't care about this high and mighty Madara, honestly all I care about right now is that you tell me when is it gonna happen again and how do I stop this, is there a way at all?", her voice had grown shriller with every word, it felt almost like she was going to cry. The throbbing was growing in the back of her head.

"Well, I can't tell when you'll travel again, It depends totally on the individual, the frequency is different for everyone. Madara used to travel 7 times in a day-"

"7 times! Hell no!"

The throbbing, ughhh.

"Yes, but I've heard of people who'd travel once a week or once a day, its hard to tell, but with the chronograph, we can control your date, day, place and time and let you go in past for 2-3 hours so that you won't end up randomly in the middle of nowhere."

"Wait, didn't Rin and Obito run away with the chronograph? How can I use it, then?", Sakura asked more curious than before.

"Yes, they did run away with the real chronograph but we were lucky to have the second chronograph in working order. And l assure you it runs on sound science."

"That sounds like a blessing, I guess. So you mean that I can choose where I can go?"

"We not you. We decide where to send you. And to use the chronograph, we'll need some drops of your blood. It's like an identity check."

"A time machine that runs on blood. I should have expected this considering all the leeches around here. A machine's no better than it's creator."

Kakashi chuckled, "Hate us already?"

As Sakura was about to speak, she was suddenly sucked in by a force into a dimly lit doom, dropping on the floor, she cursed, "Hell!"

She looked around, getting up, the room way absolutely empty except for the moonlight pouring in. With God's grace, Sakura found a candle and a matchstick box next to it, standing erect on the main table. As she looked around the room more closely, she saw that the arrangement was a little different from the present, except for the carving on the ground and ceiling.

Without hesitating, Sakura sat on the head chair and eyed the opened book on the table, she flipped through the pages only to realise it was a record diary that contained the daily activities of the people in The Order. It seemed that every head of The Order maintained his own record diary signed under his name and this fortunately was her grandfather's; Haruno Hisashi.

As she was going through the book she realised that it contained information in such a way that even as an outsider read through it, he would only understand a little. Most of it was written in Latin and some very absurd phrases were used every now and then. It also contained the budget, the money spent in scientific research, progress in The Order. The most striking thing she found was about 20mins later when the record said-

 _24th August, 1976_

 _Today, at 12:45pm, Uchiha Obito and Haruno Rin were sent to collect Madame Hiyami's blood. The mission was a great success. They came back at 2:04pm. Seventeen of the total sample are delicately preserved in the Laboratory 13._

"Obito and Rin..", Sakura murmured. Her cousin .. and her boyfriend were impressive , Sakura thought. She flipped a few more pages to find another note that said that Rin and Obito were preparing for their next mission. Sakura didn't quite get what kind of 'Mission' they were going on but it seemed really cute to her; the whole idea of falling in love with someone in different time zones, running through time together and then finally escaping from the present, living in time period that was never supposed to be yours. A movie on their romance was a must.

As her mind weaved random thoughts about Rin, Obito, Laboratory 13, 'missions', it clicked to her; such an important document laying opened on the table as if it were the least important thing, was peculiar. She looked around for a clock and realised it was 3:56 am while her watch showed 11:45pm. She went back to the opened book and analysed it further until she saw a very small chit of paper acting like a bookmark to a page far beyond the last entry. Sakura flipped through the blank pages and reached the page with the bookmark only to find an envelope with - 'Ruby' written on it.

 _This is for me. Grandfather left this letter for me. Ofcourse!_ The inner Sakura chimed. She opened the envelope carefully to see a quadrate written in fine cursive handwriting-

 _Only two will remain,_

 _Till the end,_

 _One for love,_

 _While the other pretend's._

"Woah, what does that even mean." Sakura repeated the words again and again only to conclude that she had very little information about this whole thing. This seemed like a prophecy to her, something so private and important that grandpa had taken his risk to deliver this to her. Something so private that he didn't even trust anyone in the Order to be revealed to. Now, Sakura sat there pondering what to do with the information, she had absolutely no clue of what anything in it meant and if she couldn't trust to tell anyone this why hadn't grandpa just explained it to her, himself. Why did he resort to tell this complicated poem-cum-prophecy to her? Maybe, he didn't know what it meant either.

It was after a few more minutes of overthinking that Sakura was sucked back into the grim reality that she was dearly avoiding to face.

Till date she didn't know if it was practically possible to slide across a table and fall. Well, today, she realised it was very much possible and awkward. The force with which she was thrown back was enough to make her whole body slide to the end of the head table. She called herself lucky when Sasuke, leaning on the table tensely saw her and caught her before her face hit the floor hard. He wasn't too generous to catch her tightly so her lower body hit the floor while the upper body was clutched to Sasuke's arms.

"Hey, again clumsy", he said giving a sarcastic smile. Sakura stood up properly to check her skirt and uniform, she adjusted them back in place. The three men, Kakashi, Orochimaru and Danzo came towards them.

"She was gone about for 45 mins", Danzo said stopping his stopwatch.

"Sakura, are you okay? ", Kakashi spoke.

"Yeah, I guess so", Sakura replied.

"All of our plans, they were all for nothing! Everything we did was in vain! All the time we wasted with that girl...", Danzo said, his eyes glinting with fury.

"Sakura can't catch up on everything she's missed. Etiquettes, friendship, fencing, dancing, history, I have to finish the mission on my own", Sasuke's deep voice cut through Danzo's frustrated protest. He seemed quite determined and pissed, Sakura was starting to hate him every second they spent together. She was the last person to care two shits about this 'whole mission' thing that the Ruby was supposed to do but she was done being insulted again and again.

"Dancing, I can do without training and taekondow I have trained my entire life, as for history I was a straight A student", Sakura's voice came sterner than she intended to.

"I'm sure Miss Haruno will surprise us", Orochimaru slithered and Sasuke eyed him as if challenging.

"Really?", Sasuke's voice came, "Who ruled England after George l ?"

Okay. She sure hadn't lied when she said she was a straight A student in History but she didn't remember any of it now, it was two years ago when she put the history book down, once and for all. Until then she was excellent at it, not now.

"George ll ?", Sakura's guess sounded way more underconfident than a four year old child.

"See", came Orochimaru's voice.

"Which royal house succeeded the Stuarts and why?", this time he threw a difficult question her way, more specific and smart.

Hell no, there was no way she remembered it, the only thing she remembered was sudden deaths happening and then being over thrown and that was not the answer Sasuke'll buy.

"Yeah, I-l remember it was something to do with sudden deaths and only seven minor rulings...umm.. yeah..thats all..."

Hell, she hated looking dumb infront of him.

"Hear that? She can not even speak properly! Karin is my partner, we trained years together, this girl is nothing but a child."

Sakura wished she could just stomp out of this hideous place decorated with candies. It was almost like she was living an alternative universe of Hansel and Gratel with The Order being the beautiful eye capturing bate with ugly people wearing enticing veils. But her bate was too tempting to leave just due to Sasuke's egoistic personality, she needed to control her travels back in time, she had to. She had no choice and walking away was not her thing.

"Sakura is the Ruby and deserves The Orders' care and protection. And I believe she has every right to walk her destiny with pride and honour, in which Sasuke you are to assist", came a smooth voice from behind Kakashi, the same man Sakura had bumped into. Now, seeing from a distance she took a better look at him, concluding that he was in his 30's with very striking features.

"Indra's right Sasuke", said Orochimaru bringing a prominent gold ring with a red ruby studded in the centre near Sakura and putting it in her middle finger of the right hand. "She is the Ruby we all have awaited ever since."

For some reason Sakura had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"Karin, wait", Sasuke had to fasten his pace as Karin stomped out of The Dragon Hall, "Karin, listen, please."

"Phantom symptoms! ", Karin chided walking into the hallway without looking back. "You call them, phantom symptoms!"

Sasuke, after listening to everything that Danzo had told him about Sakura's previous travels and her chances of being burned alive by the King's men, being caught by the police for burglary charges and almost being thrown in the dungeons if gotten caught by a stranger at the ball, felt something akin to guilty of insulting her without cause continuously infront of everyone. He had to give it to that silly girl to go through all this in not even two days and still acting like everything was perfectly fine. Though he didn't ponder over that feeling for long, he had business to take care of and Karin was first in the -to -do- list.

"This is so humiliating! It's like I have no respect left here! But you don't seem to care the least bit! How has it affected you at all!", Karin said stopping in the middle of the empty corridor, Sasuke though trying his best to get her under control seemed lost because his mind was totally not under his. There was so much going up in his head that he didn't even realise when Karin had stopped walking and turned to face him. His mind was still thinking about how Sakura would cope up with him during the missions, how he'd have to protect himself and Sakura because she seemed so clumsy, he really doubted her taekondow skills. His mind was all over how desperate Madara was to meet the Ruby and how they had to start preparing for the ball from tomorrow itself. He wanted to pull his hair because Sakura would only weight him down, he could protect her physically but during the missions if she did something stupid or embarrassing, how'd he even cover that, it risked their chances of getting caught or worst; killed, with Karin he knew he could rely on her to be the most elegant and eye capturing woman in the room but with Sakura, she'd only draw suspicions and doubts. And even when he'd insisted to do the missions alone, he was glared at by Orochimaru and Indra. And now he not only had to get Karin to behave but also charm Sakura under control.

"What, yes...-I do ofcourse I care about you Karin. It's just that l'm worried about your cousin and what will happen to her-"

"Oh! So now you're _worried_ about her!", Karin said with envy dripping from her face.

"We have been training together for years and she has no clue what to do so obviously it's worth the worry and with all the drama l'm stuck in the middle of all this", Sasuke retorted in a sharper voice which left Karin shut up.

"She's in real danger now, isn't she?"

"Karin...", Sasuke said as his hand moulded behind her neck and he pulled her closer to himself, his other hand on her waist, "Karin, now you can consider all the amazing career options you have with your absolutely perfect profile. You are free, you can do anything now-", he said stopping to plant a kiss on her forehead, "You can do anything."

"But they are not what I want to do, I wanted to do these missions...with you. Thats all I've ever wanted." Karin inched closer to Sasuke's face in attempt of a real kiss, a real kiss she thought she'd share with him once she officially became The Ruby but now with everything else this dream will also remain incomplete. Sasuke tilted his head slightly and planted a soft kiss on her cheek instead.

He knew what she's wanted ever since but he was not in the mood to get this more complicated than it already was. A kiss wasn't much of a deal but getting Karin more worked up than she already was and her making this a scene infront of Sakura in the future could cost him a lot more than what he was ready to bear.


End file.
